Weather Forecast

Former residents aid in flood prevention preparations

By Carolyn LeeThe Imperial Republican Two former Imperial residents, now of North Platte, helped build barricades against South Platte floodwaters in Hershey last week. Tom Hain, former Imperial Grade School principal and now retired, helped fill and tie sandbags at the Hershey school, where he also served as principal. Volunteers also built a berm around the school and built a canal that water then traveled into. “Tom said the berm saved the school,” wife Marilyn stated. Inside the school, volunteers had moved everything at least two feet off the floor. “The town came together. It was unreal,” Marilyn noted. Mike Weatherly was also busy in Hershey last week, helping his employer, farmer Mick Margritz, build up an area along a road near a co-worker’s house about 200 yards from the South Platte. They also moved the man’s furniture out of his house. Lenore Weatherly said volunteers built what was basically a wall of dirt around the entire town of Hershey. In North Platte, the main damage caused by flooding in the South Platte was at Iron Eagle Golf Course, which runs along the Platte. In addition, floodwaters coming up out of storm sewers began flooding six locations in town Sunday. Volunteers from Sutherland and Hershey drove in with sandbags to help contain the flooding in North Platte. By Monday water in the river had dropped more than six inches in Hershey and Sutherland. The South Platte crested at 14.36 feet at North Platte Sept. 20, a new record. It crested at 12.20 feet at Roscoe on that day, also a new record. At Brady on Sept. 20, the Platte River crested at 10.73 feet, a new record. National Weather Service officials said waters were expected to stay above flood stage until Wednesday.